CFD Modeling of Microchannels Cooling Fo

IIUM Engineering Journal, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2022 Fábregas et al.
https://doi.org/10.31436/iiumej.v23i1.2113
COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS MODELING OF

MICROCHANNELS COOLING FOR ELECTRONIC
MICRODEVICES
JONATHAN FÁBREGAS 1, HENRY SANTAMARÍA1, EDGARDO BUELVAS1, SAUL

PÉREZ1, CARLOS DÍAZ1, JAVIER CARPINTERO2, RICARDO MENDOZA3
AND JENNIFER VILLA2*
1
Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Colombia
2
Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad De La Costa,
Calle 58 #55-66, 080002 Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
2
Energy Department, Universidad De La Costa, Calle 58 #55-66,
080002 Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
*
Corresponding author: jvilla27@cuc.edu.co
(Received: 13th June 2021; Accepted: 13th October 2021; Published on-line: 4thJanuary 2022)
ABSTRACT: A simulation of the cooling of electronic devices was carried out by means
of microchannels, using water as a coolant to dissipate the heat generated from a computer
processor, and thus stabilize its optimum operating temperature. For the development of
this study, computational fluid mechanics modeling was established in order to determine
the temperature profiles, pressure profiles, and velocity behavior of the working fluid in
the microchannel. In the results of the study, the operating temperatures of the computer
processor were obtained, in the ranges of 303 K to 307 K, with fluid velocities in the
microchannels of 5 m/s, a pressure drop of 633.7 kPa, and a factor of safety of the design
of the microchannel of 15. From the results, the improvement of the heat transfer in a
cooling system of electronic devices was evidenced when using a coolant as a working
fluid compared to the cooling by forced air flow traditional.
ABSTRAK: Simulasi penyejukan alatan elektronik telah dibina menggunakan saluran
mikro, di samping air sebagai agen penyejuk bagi menghilangkan haba yang terhasil dari
pemproses komputer, dan penstabil pada suhu operasi optimum. Kajian ini mengenai
model komputasi mekanik bendalir bagi menentukan profil suhu, profil tekanan, dan
halaju perubahan bendalir dalam saluran mikro. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan suhu operasi
pemproses komputer adalah pada julat suhu 303 K sehingga 307 K, dengan halaju bendalir
dalam saluran mikro adalah pada kelajuan 5 m/s, penurunan tekanan sebanyak 633.7 kPa,
dan faktor keselamatan 15 bagi reka bentuk saluran mikro. Ini menunjukkan terdapat
kenaikan pemindahan haba bagi sistem penyejukan alatan elektronik ini, terutama apabila
cecair digunakan sebagai penyejuk haba berbanding kaedah tradisi iaitu dengan mengguna
pakai aliran udara sebagai agen penyejuk.
KEYWORDS: computational fluids dynamics; microchannels; processor; cooling
1. INTRODUCTION
At present, there is a growing demand for greater performance in electronic devices and
for reliability in the level of heat rejection, which make it necessary to create alternatives
for the removal of heat and which in turn are much more efficient. Therefore, some
alternatives have been presented to solve this problem by developing research using
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microchannels (MC). Belhardj et al. [1] used MC with a phase change fluid to improve heat
transfer in the cooling of processors.
Chen and Ding [2] analyzed the performance of cooling devices using MC with
working fluids of water and nanofluids. Their results showed adequate behavior with the
two proposed alternatives. Moreover, Chiu et al. [3] studied the effect of the MC geometry
and the pressure used in the heat transfer. It was found that a higher pressure drop improved
the heat transfer coefficient. Bosi et al. [4] designed a series of MC modules with different
channel separation configurations to study the cooling phenomenon of a silicon pixel
detector system. In addition, Brinda et al. [5], in their study, propose a series of MC in a
stepped form with a rectangular cross-section to increase the area of the walls, which
decreases the thermal resistance and increases the heat transfer coefficient.
Naqiuddin et al. [6] carried out a study applying the technology of MC for the cooling
of electronic chips, adapting the principles of straight channels by a segmented method.
Modeling was developed for this research by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the
statistical method of Taguchi-gray to optimize the system according to the required
specifications. In other studies, Zhang et al. [7] worked in MC using the effect of the model
k-e turbulent in three types of cross-section for the MC. They used circular, trapezoidal, and
rectangular sections, comparing the results obtained in terms of heat transfer and mechanics
of the fluid, establishing the best design in terms of performance.
Naqiuddin et al. [8] conducted a study on the recent technological advances in
electronic systems that use MC systems. In their study, they emphasized the importance of
geometry, fluid mechanics, fluid type, phase change, and the applications of the same to
improve heat dissipation. Kirsch and Thole [9] evaluated the behavior of MC developed by
additive metal fabrication methods with simulated profiles through computational tools,
comparing the effect on the performance of the device in the tests performed, highlighting
the influence of the roughness present on the surfaces of the elements manufactured with
respect to the change of the shape of the profiles.
Yue et al. [10] developed a study by CFD modeling of the segment of a steam turbine
separated by MC varying the filling ratio of the refrigerant, finding the optimum operating
percentages, and establishing a method to simplify the experiments. A more complete
review of the main applications that use CFD for Physical phenomena modeling associated
with heat transfer and fluid movement can be found in studies by Hnaien et al. [11] where
they compared several turbulence models using computational mechanics to simulate the
interaction of parallel jets, highlighting better predictions in the results when using the
standard k - ε model.
Mohammed [12] reviewed literature focusing on the use of CM and nanofluids in both
experimental and numerical designs, showing in his findings the improvement of heat
transfer from devices because of increasing pressure drop. Mohd and Parashram N. [13] in
their study used numerical techniques to predict the behavior of the dimensionless Nusselt
number, through CFD simulations where the turbulence model SST Gamma-theta has
greater precision in convergence. Aqilah et al. [14] performed a mesh effect study on CFD
simulations of the aerodynamic profile in an airfoil, indicating the importance of mesh
quality when comparing results with experimental studies. Drăgan [15] conducted a
performance study of a centrifuge compressor using CFD software to simulate fluid
behavior and heat transfer in equipment with optimized design under different operating
conditions.
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Thome [16] conducted a review study of the effect of boiling in MC devices, for CFD
simulations and experiments with two-phase flows, and evaluated the behavior of heat
transfer in MC when boiling. Talimi et al. [17] conducted a review on numerical simulation
research in small channels in which the hydrodynamic and heat transfer characteristics in
non-boiling gas-liquid and liquid-liquid slug flows were studied for circular and non-
circular channels. Bagheri-Esfe and Manshadi [18] developed a code for CFD simulations
estimating the behavior of flow fields to design a wind tunnel.
Azizi et al. [19] studied gas-solid heat transfer in risers using two-fluid CFD modeling
to evaluate the effect of bed angle and particle feed velocity. Villegas et al. [20] used a
coupling of computational tools, applying CFD to represent the friction-stir welding
phenomenon. Culun et al. [21] developed a synergistic analysis in CFD of heat transfer of
impinging multi jets, evaluating parameters such as the geometry of the jet holes, their
arrangement, the density of the jets through spanwise and streamwise directions, and the
type of confinement. Elsamni et al. [22] used CFD to study the characteristics of laminar
flow in a semi-circular duct and the effect of the Reynolds number on the hydrodynamic
development length and the friction factor, and subsequently compared them with straight
and curved ducts.
Thus, computational modeling through CFD software of the design of the device with
MC system starts from the advances of the computational technology of last generation
processors, which require a heat removal system that satisfies the conditions for its
performance over maximum efficiency. Traditional propeller heatsinks have been in the
market for many decades obtaining a good performance in their operation, but as the
technology of the processors increases, the system must meet their maximum operation
demands. MC technology has had a great impact on cooling processes with good results.
Based on these studies and technologies, the design and modeling of a device that satisfies
the conditions of the last generation processor is generated.
In this study, a cooling system of an electronic device is evaluated, using water as the
working fluid in a MC system, considering the heat transfer and the physical modeling
involved in this case, in order to compare the operating temperature of the device with
traditional forced airflow cooling. Finally, the safety factor of the MC design is verified in
the numerical analysis.
2. MATERIALS AND METHOD

The development and application of phenomena associated with the behavior of CM
technology are described by its formulation of mathematical models, as explained below,
considering that the modeling equations were made with the use of ANSYS® software.
It begins with a description of the physical phenomena that govern the system.
Similarly, the boundary conditions for heat conduction and the thermodynamic relationship
of the working fluid with convection heat transfer are exposed. The external and internal
working fluids were studied through the logarithmic mean temperature difference to
establish the change of temperature in the exchange device system. From the description of
the heat transfer model, the variables involved in the process are established to use a
computational tool where these values will be entered. Previously, a CAD (Computer-Aided
Design) model was developed. Then, an ANSYS CFX tool was used to evaluate the energy,
continuity, moment, and turbulence models to obtain the results.
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2.1 Physical Modeling

The heat transfer phenomenon to which the MC cooling device is subjected, together
with the working fluid and heat dissipation in the computer processor, requires a
mathematical model to describe its behavior. Therefore, the following numerical
formulations are established. Heat input from processor to MC device is:
QCPU T (0, t )
= − kd (1)
As ,CPU y
where kd is the thermal conductivity of the solid material with which the device MC was
designed, QCPU is the heat generated by the processor, As,CPU is the surface area of contact
between the processor and the device MC. Consequently, the liquid used for cooling inside
the MC is water, and the heat transfer rate of the coolant without phase change is described
with equations (2-3):
QH 2O = C pH 2O mH 2O (Tout , H 2O − Tin, H 2O ) = hmc As ,mc (Tln,mc ) (2)
 
 
 Tin, H 2O − Tout , H 2O 
Tln, mc =  (3)
 ln  Ts , prom − Tout , H 2O 
  T  
  s , prom − Tin, H 2O 
Assuming in the first stage of calculation the surface temperature of the MC as average
temperature. Where mH 2O is the mass flow of the coolant (water) and C pH 2O is the specific
heat, Tin, H 2O and Tout , H 2O are the coolant inlet and outlet temperatures in the MC, Ts , prom is
the average temperature on the surface of the MC, Tln,mc is the average log temperature of
the MC, hmc is the coefficient of heat transfer by internal convection in the MC. For
obtaining the coefficient of heat transfer by convection the number of Nusselt Nu is
calculated by Dittus-Boelter equation (4).
For the turbulent regime:
hmc Dd
Nu = = 0.023Re0.8
D Pr
n
(4)
k H 2O
For the laminar regime with constant heat flux, and the laminar regime with an average
surface temperature of constant MC, given the dimensions of the MC, the Nusselt number
is:
Nuq = 4.12; NuTs = 3,308; f = 61.144 / Re D (5)
where kH 2O is the thermal conductivity of the coolant liquid (water), Dd is the hydraulic
diameter before the test section at the entrance, f is the friction factor and the Reynolds
number represented by Dd is calculated according to equations (6-7):
VDd
Re = (6)
v
4 Ac
Dd = (7)
p
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where V represents the velocity of the coolant (water), v is the kinematic viscosity of the
coolant (water), Ac is the area of the cross-section located before the test zone and p is the
perimeter of this.
The heat generated around the MC device is represented by the equation (8):
T ( L, t )
= h2, T ( L, t ) − T   +  T ( L, t ) − T 4 
4
− kd (8)
y  
where h2, is the coefficient of free heat transfer of the material of the device MC with the
air environment of the surroundings, T  is the environment air temperature of the
surroundings,  is the Stefan-Boltzmann coefficient for radiation,  is the emissivity of the
surface of the MC device. Figure 1 describes the system developed.
Fig. 1: Representation of the cooling system with the use of MC.
2.2 Computational Model

The design of the MC cooling device was generated because of the size specifications
of the last generation processor studied. That is, a compact device made of commercial
aluminum that consists of an internal fluid inlet of 3.8 mm in diameter, the constitution of
the series of MC of height 0.9 mm and width 0.5 mm, a fluid outlet of 3.8 mm in diameter,
as shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2: Geometric representation of the cooling device by MC.
Figure 3 shows the volumetric meshing of the system in which the size of the elements
is stipulated for a minimum of 0.015 mm and a maximum of 0.3 mm with a growth rate of
1.2, obtaining an element quality of 82 % indicating a good mesh, for a ratio of 369,995
nodes and 1,047,186 elements in the microchannel system. These meshing data are selected
by performing different meshing independence tests according to a response variable,
obtaining an error percentage of 0.6%.
388
The input boundary condition is assigned by the velocity variables and the ambient
temperature of 298.15 K of the water domain, the velocity is calculated by the flow and the
transverse area of the input.
The boundary condition of the MC cooling device domain presents a set of variables in
the initial state, the initial temperature of the medium at 298.15 K, free convection of the
medium with the aluminum material at 25 W/m2K. The processor generates a heat flux
corresponding to its maximum operation consumption on the surface or base of the MC
cooling device and this corresponds to 22,849 W/m2 by equation (1).
Fig. 3: Volumetric mesh of the microchannel section.
Therefore, the models applied to the system consist of the movement of the working
fluid and the heat transfer between the contact interfaces and the environment, for which,
the computational models of momentum conservation, energy conservation, and turbulence
models for fluid movement are shown in equations (9) to (12).
Momentum conservation:

t
( )
(  v ) +  (  vv ) = −p +    v + v T  +  g + F (9)
where  is the density of the fluid,  is the dynamic viscosity, p is the pressure, is the
dynamic viscosity of the fluid, v is the velocity of the fluid.

t
( )
(  v ) +  (  E ) + v (  E + p ) = p keff T + Sh (10)
The equation (10) represents the energy conservation of the system, where the variable
keff is the coefficient of effective thermal conductivity, and Sh represents the energy of the
potential chemical system.
Turbulence model k-ε:
    i  k 
t
( k ) +
xi
( )
 ku j =   +
xi  k
  + Gk + Gb −  − YM + Sk (11)
 xi 
    i  s  2 
t
(  ) + (
x j
)
 ku j =
x j
  +

  +  C1S −  C2
 k + v
+ C1z C3 z Gb + S z (12)
 z  j  k
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where Gk represents the turbulence generation of the kinetic energy due to the average
velocity gradient, YM represents the contribution of the incompressible turbulence of
fluctuating expansion to the general dissipation rate, and Gb is the generation of turbulence
due to the floating kinetic energy. Due to defined boundary conditions and interface
domains, a convergence criterion of 1E-04 is established to start the CFD software solver.
Table 1 presents the boundary conditions applied to the computational model with the
process conditions.
Table 1: Boundary conditions

Conditions Value
Initial temperature 298.15 K
Heat Flux 22.849 kW/m2
Pump's rotational Speed 100 – 2000 rpm
External heat transfer coefficient of the microchannel 25 W/m2K
External environment Temperature 298.15 K
Inlet and outlet pipe area 11.341 mm2
1.45 m2
The cross-sectional area of the microchannel
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The transfer models that govern the design of the MC system were indicated in the
modeling of the device. The design was generated from two aluminum materials for the MC
device with water as the cooling liquid. The MC cooling device was generated based on the
size specifications of the studied computer processor, that is, a compact device using MC in
series, the boundary conditions assigned by the variables of velocity and ambient
temperature of the water domain, and the limit conditions of the MC cooling device
presenting a set of variables in an initial state such as ambient temperature. After the CFD
software solution process was complete, the temperature, pressure, and velocity profiles
were rendered for analysis purposes. The reading of results was presented in two specific
areas, the interior of the MC and the contact surface of the processor-cooling device in
planes, therefore, the results of the study carried out are shown in Fig. 4 and 5.
Fig. 4: Temperatures profiles: a) Region of MC, b) Region of processor-cooling device contact.
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Figure 4 shows the distribution by contours of the temperature in the device and inside
the MC, from which it can be noted that the coolant reached a working temperature of
approximately 306 K, while the solid-body reached a temperature of 307.5 K and a
minimum temperature of 304 K located in the inlet zone of the coolant to the system. These
results of MC temperature profiles were compared with those proposed by Naqiuddin et al.
[6], Moradikazerouni et al. [23], and Abdollahi et al. [24]. It was observed that the
temperature differences were greater by up to 5 K according to the simulation conditions
demonstrating that the operating principle of liquid cooling is adequate to maintain the
working conditions of the electronic element, meaning the processor.
Fig. 5: Profiles in the MC region: a) Speed of the cooling fluid, b) Pressure in the cooling fluid.
In Fig. 5, the velocity and pressure profiles corresponding to the working fluid inside
the MC are observed, from which it can be seen that for the flow rate established when using
equation (9), the operating pressure at the beginning of the conduit is 633.7 kPa and the
speed reached by the liquid in the MC is 0.5 m/s. This relationship shows that increasing
the fluid velocities requires a greater pressure range so that the flow parameters remain at
the working condition that is required by the processor in terms of temperature. This velocity
result is within the range of results obtained by Chiu et al. [3] on hydraulic simulations in
the CFDs of microchannels used as heatsinks.
When graphing, there is a line along the length of the device, these represent the
temperature curves in two regions, which appear as a result of the system temperature is
stabilized from 299 K to 306.4 K together with the MC and the temperature in the region of
contact of the device with the processor from 304.5 K to 307.4 K, in the range of the
optimum operating temperature of the processor as seen in Fig. 6.
391
Fig. 6: Temperature curves: a) Region of MC, b) Region of contact processor-cooling device.
The analysis of the behavior of the stabilized temperature in the computer processor
was carried out, varying the range of angular velocity from the water pumping system to the
MC device, thus obtaining characteristic curves that allowed choosing the best range of
speeds to model. Figure 7 shows the graphs of the temperature profile reached in the
computer processor, for each point of variation of the angular velocity in the pumping
system. It is observed that the angular velocity ranges between 500 rpm and 1000 rpm do
not represent a significant variation in the temperature obtained in the computer processor,
so this range of velocity is a good option to model the process.
Fig. 7: Temperature & flow rates curves: a) Region of Processor, b) Region of contact processor-
cooling device.
392
Once the fluid dynamic behavior of the working liquid inside the MC system has been
evaluated, a multiphysics coupling is made in the simulation software, by importing the
pressures reached inside the MC system by the working fluid, in order to analyze in a
structural mechanics tool, the stresses caused by this pressure on the walls of the MC. Figure
8 shows the pressure vectors transferred to the structural mechanics' tool.
Fig. 8: Pressure imported from CFD tool to structural mechanics' tool.
Upon obtaining the results of the temperature and pressure profiles the coupling
between computational tools was performed to determine the effect caused by the pressures
reached by the working fluid and the stress it causes on the MC surfaces. The magnitude of
the stresses applied to the MC surfaces was obtained using commercial aluminum as the
device material, in addition to estimating the safety factor to evaluate the feasibility of
manufacturing a physical design under these working conditions. These results are shown
in Fig. 9.
Fig. 9: Design contours: a) Security factor, b) Von Mises stress.
Figure 9 can be analyzed to reveal the maximum applied stress for the pressure
conditions generated for the cooling of the electronic processor device. The maximum
393
applied stress is 1.38 MPa with a safety factor of 15 granting design reliability for the use
of a Wide field of pressures used for cooling electronic devices.
Sreehari and Sharma [25] carried out research about the thermal performance in MC
using water as the working fluid. The effect of three types of surface engraving that were
modeled were compared (rectangular coil, U-curvature coil, and V-shaped coil) and
subjected to computational and experimental study. These microchannel systems have a
rectangular cross-section with dimensions of 0.6 mm x 0.3 mm using heat flux of 10 kW/m2,
20 kW/m2, and 30 kW/m2. The results have shown an acceptable deviation between the
experimental and numerical results with a maximum value of 11%. The rectangular coil
behaved similarly to the device analyzed in the present investigation.
4. CONCLUSION
The main motivation for carrying out this study was the fact that the usual working
temperatures of a CPU range between 328.15 K and 343.15 K when using the traditional
dissipation system for air ventilation, which affects the performance of the device, causing
forced labor. On this basis, the following conclusions are drawn when liquid cooling is used
in a microchannel-type device.
The main result is that the variables analyzed in the study such as fin geometry and MC
distribution influence the heat transfer less than the flow rate used. For low flow rates, the
temperature tends to exceed the normal operating range of the system, which implies that
the design of the device must have the corresponding mechanical properties for the pressure
range in the MC, as well as the supply hoses and the pumping device.
The results of the simulation of the system were analyzed and it was observed that the
behavior of the MC cooling device, when the processor is at its maximum use in operations,
maintains an optimum working temperature in an average range of 307 K. It should be noted
that the value depends on the conditions of fluid entry, such as the flow rate.
It is concluded that at a lower flow rate than the one used in the fluid, the behavior of
the temperature exceeds the range of 313 K, which is still suitable for optimal operation for
the studied processor which establishes a limit of operation at 333 K and critical state at
more than 373 K. The design of the device is suitable for its operation since it has a safety
factor of 15 for optimal process conditions using commercial aluminum material, which is
a light material and good conductor.
The mesh size was evaluated with respect to the temperature reached by the contact
surface with the computer processor. varying the number of elements in the mesh from a
default value of 320,775 to 1,047,186, obtaining an error percentage between samples of
0.6%, which is an acceptable value for the reliability of the simulation.
This study consisted of analysis using computational tools to simulate the explained
phenomenon. Validations were carried out with works published by various authors
applying similar simulation techniques. The experimental validation of the design will be
carried out in future studies.
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CFD Modeling of Microchannels Cooling Fo

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IIUM Engineering Journal, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2022 Fábregas et al.

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS MODELING OF

JONATHAN FÁBREGAS 1, HENRY SANTAMARÍA1, EDGARDO BUELVAS1, SAUL

KEYWORDS: computational fluids dynamics; microchannels; processor; cooling

2. MATERIALS AND METHOD

2.1 Physical Modeling

Fig. 1: Representation of the cooling system with the use of MC.

2.2 Computational Model

Fig. 2: Geometric representation of the cooling device by MC.

Fig. 3: Volumetric mesh of the microchannel section.

Table 1: Boundary conditions

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Fig. 4: Temperatures profiles: a) Region of MC, b) Region of processor-cooling device contact.

Fig. 6: Temperature curves: a) Region of MC, b) Region of contact processor-cooling device.

Fig. 8: Pressure imported from CFD tool to structural mechanics' tool.

Fig. 9: Design contours: a) Security factor, b) Von Mises stress.

Engineering, Transactions A: Basics, 30(4): 464–472.

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